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Dickey, past knuckleballers celebrate new film

Dickey, past knuckleballers celebrate new film

NEW YORK -- Not unexpectedly, R.A. Dickey found the movie "Knuckleball" gripping.

"I have seen a rough cut, and it was pretty neat," Dickey said. "It kind of captures the essence of the men who threw it."

The film will have a free premiere Saturday at the Tribeca Film Festival in advance of a national release this summer.

"They used [Tim Wakefield's] quest for 200 [wins] as kind of a story arc that they bounce on and off, exploring the men who threw the pitch -- Charlie [Hough], Phil [Niekro], [Tom] Candiotti, and [Jim] Bouton.

"The cinematography is fantastic. To capture what a knuckleball looks like in slow motion is pretty awesome. I think the movie does the pitch justice. A lot of time that pitch isn't given the proper respect."

Dickey appeared with Hough, his mentor, on the field before Friday opener against the Giants at Citi Field. The two were fixed up by Orel Hershiser and Buck Showalter while Dickey was making the conversion to full-time knuckleballer in 2005 with Texas.

"He watched me throw, changed my grip immediately, and that was one of the stepping stones to getting comfortable with it," Dickey said. "We have been connected ever since.

"He is on my speed dial whenever I start struggling. I can't turn to Mike Pelfrey for help with my knuckleball, I'll call [Hough] or [Wakefield] or Phil. I am the product of a lot of people who have poured into me in a way that has been very generous, and Charlie has been a big part of that."